The island of Bali is the pearl of Indonesia and the most famous resort in Southeast Asia. Well-groomed snow-white beaches, dense exotic mangrove forests, and cultural attractions annually welcome millions of travelers from different parts of the planet. The volcanic island attracts foreign guests with its well-developed tourist infrastructure, wide selection of entertainment and water sports.
About the climate at the resort
Recently, the island has been extremely popular among tourists from post-Soviet countries, so many travelers are asking the question “When to go to Bali?” " Indonesia is famous for its year-round summer. The beach season never stops. However, due to the monsoon equatorial climate from November to March, the archipelago experiences constant downpours as a substitute for winter. Most of the rain is fleeting, but causes inconvenience for European visitors. It is most comfortable to vacation in Bali in summer and early autumn, when it is warm and dry.
Bali differs from other Indonesian islands in that endangered plants and animals, which are unique species, live throughout its territory. The southern region is considered the main resort region that borders the Indian Ocean. Rich tourists love to relax in the respectable Nusa Dua area with luxurious villas, hotels and restaurants. It is noteworthy that in this elite resort there are no buildings taller than coconut trees.
Bali will delight budget travelers with affordable accommodation everywhere. Basically, tourists stay in hostels or in Balinese huts, where they immerse themselves in the national culture. The central part of the island is famous for the town of Ubud, where finding a picturesque place to stay will not be difficult at all. In the north of Bali is the resort of Lovina. Black corals, volcanic beaches and exotic houses attract travelers eager to get into the spirit of the island, who love diving and surfing.
Entertainment and attractions
Almost all Balinese hotels are equipped with luxurious SPA salons. The main feature of such centers is the use of only natural elements, for example, vegetable oils, milk, algae or flower petals. In SPA centers, clients will enjoy local classical massage, which combines Japanese, Chinese and Thai ancient techniques, reflexology, aromatic baths and a variety of water treatments. The hallmark of medicinal Bali is considered to be wrapping the stronger sex with cloves and black rice powder. The measures described above have a beneficial effect on blood circulation, eliminate cellulite, relieve stress and moisturize the skin.
The Kutu area is extremely popular among surfers. There are schools teaching surfing and board rentals here. This resort also attracts young people and lovers of vibrant nightlife. Local restaurants will delight you with cuisines from many countries around the world, and European and American musicians often give concerts in Kuta.
Fans of diving in Bali must visit Amed. The coastal waters are interesting with beautiful corals, amazing underwater inhabitants and the Blue Lagoon, perfect for novice divers. Here you can find manta rays, mola mola fish, reef sharks, moray eels and lionfish, as well as colorful
Shopping lovers will not be bored in Bali. Souvenir shops, shops and shopping centers will delight shopaholics with natural spices, Luwak coffee, considered the most expensive on the planet, goji berries and black rice, tropical fruits and jewelry. The village of Cheluk is famous for its craftsmen who make magnificent jewelry from stones and pearls. It is worth buying quality fabrics in the Tokhbati settlement. The main advantage of local sellers is that they love to bargain, and this is extremely important for guests from the CIS.
In addition to beaches, mountains and volcanoes, the island is famous for its ancient palaces and religious shrines. You should not visit local temple complexes alone. Almost all local guides in Russian will tell you the secrets and stories of every building in Bali for an affordable fee.
The east of the island is interesting for the “mother of temples”. This is the largest complex of shrines, consisting of 20 majestic buildings. Ulun Danu is considered the main sea temple of the island, and the hallmark of Bali is Tanah Lot, surrounded by water. Nature lovers will be delighted by the rice terraces, the turtle island of Serangan and the amazing Git-Git waterfall.
The Bali Botanical Garden, in addition to unique plants, is famous for the Bali Tritop Park. Here tourists can ride and walk along suspension bridges. The Gunung Batur volcano serves as an observation deck from where you can enjoy sunrises and sunsets, and its surroundings have an interesting thermal pool. The settlement of Tampaksiring is known throughout Indonesia for its ancient monastery and holy spring, in which tourists and local residents wash themselves with sacred water.
Bali is part of Muslim Indonesia, so it is necessary to adhere to quite a lot of rules and recommendations:
- Wearing short shorts and miniskirts is prohibited.
- You cannot come close to a person who is praying.
- Avoid speaking loudly during religious events.
- Swimming and sunbathing naked is only possible on special closed beaches.
- You should visit temples without bleeding wounds and with a mandatory donation.
- You must enter government facilities and mosques with your knees covered.
- Pointing fingers at anyone is not encouraged here.
- When talking with local residents, you should not shout, swear, or bring up politics.
As a security measure, large sums of money, documents and jewelry must be kept in the hotel safe. Before traveling, it is important to take out health insurance and be vaccinated against tropical diseases.
The island of Bali is considered the most popular in Southeast Asia, so you will have to prepare for huge queues at the airport, near local attractions. However, all these inconveniences are fully compensated by a wonderful vacation on luxurious beaches, ancient temples and amazing forests.
Watching the visitors here, you begin to understand that some of our compatriots are strictly contraindicated from going to Bali. Their consciousness, clogged with the Turkish “all-inclusive”, expects from this island gorgeous beaches, sun loungers with umbrellas and hot Asian women rubbing their white Russian buttocks with oil. Friends, let's bring some clarity.
Bali is an island of incredible contrasts, for which the tourist consciousness is sometimes not ready. But first things first.
I will come and happily splash in the radiant waves
Radiant waves are here - from all sides. But you won’t be able to swim everywhere. Delicious pictures of white sand and blue calm waves that are shown to you on the Internet are the areas of Nusa Dua (expensive, rich), Jimbaran (simpler) and Sanur (something in between) and a couple of other places. The rest of the tourist and not-so-tourist areas are vast beaches with big waves and coarse brown sand. When entering such waves it is easy to lose your panties. And if you don’t know how to swim, then you may find yourself in an awkward position. Such beaches are good for surfers and daredevils who can confidently stay on the water.
Not only that, but our ocean sometimes gets sick and a lot of garbage ends up on the shore. Balinese beaches are especially harsh during the rainy season.
I'll rent a luxury house for pennies and live like a king
This seems to be true. Housing in Bali, by Moscow standards, is really cheap. And for the price of a one-room apartment in some Altufyevo, you can rent a house with a swimming pool and a garden. But there are several important points that deserve a separate section. Therefore, we will describe them briefly here.
The price of a villa in Bali greatly depends on the time and duration. The shorter the period, the more expensive the villa will cost you. In addition, realtors make a lot of money from villas. But that's half the trouble. You can run into agencies that, having taken a deposit, will disappear just as quickly. And it seemed like they had a decent website and nice people. Therefore, it is best to look for villas through Balinese communities or through people who probably live here. And the local Russian population is famous for its incredible number of realtors.
If you are going to rent a house for a long period, from several months, then prepare the entire amount. In Bali, it is customary to pay for the entire period at once. Of course, you can agree and split the payment into two or three parts, but in general, it is important for the Balinese to receive all the money at once. If you are ready to pay for the villa outright, then do not hesitate to ask for even the biggest discounts. Sometimes you can save up to 20 thousand rubles or more from the annual rental of a house. If we get lucky.
If the entire amount is not available at once (and there is a decent amount of money there, if it is a villa for 30 thousand, for example, then in a year you will have to pay 360,000 rubles), then in some cases you can agree on a monthly payment. The amount immediately increases.
You can look for a villa yourself, from here. Or make friends with a good realtor.
Everything is cheap in Bali and I will live like a god
You can live on 20 thousand, that’s true. But this is for those who are ready to save on everything and chew rice. Bali is not cheap. Contrary to all the myths that have developed about this wonderful island. And if you are just a tourist, then vacation may not seem so expensive. For those who live here, it has long been no secret that it is not entirely easy to survive on 20 thousand a month in Bali. Bali is not Thailand. And here we need money.
Those who eat local food, live in the outback and don’t go anywhere can live quickly.
I'll eat lobster every day
Oddly enough, seafood is expensive in Bali. Of course, they are fresh and much cheaper than in Moscow. But these are not the pennies that tourists often imagine. In addition, for variety you need to go to a fishing village, and this is not always convenient due to traffic jams and location.
Shrimp, squid and a minimal set of fish steaks can be found in any large supermarket. And in restaurants, seafood is more expensive than meat. It's not a bad option for tourists, but if you're going to stay here for a while, you'll need to look for local markets with fresh fish. We will definitely tell you more about them.
I'll drink and smoke dope every day
In Bali you can eat mushrooms every day; they are legal here. But when it comes to drugs, the law is very harsh - they give a prison sentence for any little thing. For not a trifle - life sentence for tourists and death penalty for locals. Corruption operates, but on a fairly serious scale and in unaffordable amounts. Whether to break the law or not is everyone's business. But we warned you. Alcohol is also expensive in Bali. And not as diverse as many would like. For those who really suffer, there are local drinks that are not of the best quality and arak, which is distilled by the Balinese themselves. We haven't tried it, so we can't say anything.
I will enjoy the quiet warm evenings
Enjoy. But don't forget that there are a lot of dogs in Bali. During the day they are zen and sleep right on the roads. And at night the dogs are possessed by demons, and they attack people and bikes. They rush selflessly, and sometimes in a whole flock at once. This is something that is difficult to get used to, and something that is completely impossible to fight. Sometimes pressing the bike's signal helps, but it's better to just quickly get away from them.
Nothing will disturb my holiday in Bali
Bali is an island with rich flora and fauna. Life here is actively developing. And there is nothing strange that every day thousands of little eyes will look at you from behind the bushes and blades of grass. Lizards, spiders, large cockroaches, frogs and bats are generally harmless. Some come home. So our friends found a snake in the shell, and we live with a wonderful spider, 6-7 centimeters in diameter. We call him respectfully - Anton Sergeevich.
Meeting a snake on the road, especially in rice fields, is also common. So, when you ride a bike in the outback, keep your eyes on the road so as not to disturb the local residents.
I'm so beautiful in a red dress, I'll walk through the streets of Bali
You won't be able to walk everywhere. More precisely, you won’t be able to walk almost anywhere. There are no sidewalks in Bali. Something similar can be found in the most tourist areas, but even in this case, there is a risk of ending up in the sewer. The slabs on the sidewalks are weak and often completely absent. So, watching your step is strictly recommended. To be completely honest, riding a bike in Bali is much safer than walking. Or by taxi, as you wish.
I will ride my bike like the heroine from the movie “Eat, Pray, Love”
You can cut through, but along paths in the outback, between rice fields. An option more suitable for those who want to live here and move away from the obscurantist Kuta and the completely touristy Semenyak. It is also quite possible to ride a bicycle on the main roads, but this is an option for selfless comrades who are not very worried about their health. Traffic on Balinese roads is crazy. Imagine a mess of cars and hundreds of bikes, which everyone drives in a chaotic manner as they want. They all honk and, as a rule, do not look in the mirrors. In general, it is quite difficult to get used to Balinese traffic, even after Moscow, and without knowing the detour routes, you can spend a lot of time in the sun, nerves and exhaust fumes. And Google Maps most likely won’t show you a detour route.
The rainy season in Bali means one rain at night for 15 minutes
The rainy season in Bali means no sun and endless downpours for several months (from December to March). It's the humidity and trash on the ocean shore. The rainy season in Bali always means wet feet and riding a bike knee-deep in water. And when tourists want to save on tickets and fly here to celebrate the New Year, they only cause surprise among the local population. The rainy season in Bali is a time for romantics who can appreciate this beauty. But not for those who want to swim and sunbathe.
Bali is paradise
This is true. But Bali is a paradise for people of a very specific type. This is why many tourists, when they come here, promise that this was the first and last time “in this hole.” They lack civilization, taxis on every corner, sun loungers on the beaches and cheap alcohol. Bali is an island with its own character, which you either fall in love with immediately and forever, or not. And if you take into account the cost of tickets and flight time, then our kind recommendation to those who have not been here is to think a few more times before going here. Because Turkey, Greece, Thailand and other countries are much more suitable for Russian tourists.
We especially thank our good friends for the photo for this article, who bring rays of goodness and light - Max Kim, Maria Sosnina and Elena Bodina. Thank you very much Balinese!
Paradise Bali attracts tourists from different countries with its beautiful beaches, picturesque landscapes, and peaceful atmosphere. But is it really safe to relax in this part, is it really possible to relax surrounded by the beautiful island nature.
When going on vacation, it would be a good idea to find out how tourists are deceived in Bali, and what you need to know to avoid unpleasant situations.
Tired of a long journey or, conversely, overly impressed by the views from the window, a passenger is a worthy prey for enterprising locals working at the airport.
Options for deceiving arriving travelers
Missing luggage
Tourists arrive at Bali's Denpassar Airport every 10 minutes. The result is impressive queues at passport control and a lengthy process of going through border formalities.
At this time, the luggage is safely unloaded onto the belt, where it should spin in anticipation of the owner. Imagine the bewilderment of the passenger when the required suitcase is not on the belt. Panic, confusion. Now a man in uniform appears nearby, or more often several people who, with professional zeal, go in search of the missing bag. The arriving tourist will be persistently asked about the airline, the characteristics of the suitcase, and 10-15 minutes will be spent searching for the necessary luggage. Of course, in the end the missing item will be found. Everything is great, except for the fact that money will be persistently demanded from the arriving tourist for search activities. As a rule, this amount is 5-10 dollars for each participant in search activities.
Porter-assistant
Usually women fall for this method of deception. When you try to remove your suitcase from the luggage belt, it is intercepted by a reliable male hand. Such an assistant may appear a little later, when the tourist is already walking with his suitcase in search of a taxi. There is a slight confusion, and a man with your suitcase is already walking ahead at a short distance. It is unlikely that he plans to steal the traveler's personal belongings. Most often, such assistance ends at the taxi car.
Such activity is fraught with, firstly, the need to pay for the services of a helper, and secondly, the risk of paying exorbitant prices for a taxi.
If you cannot avoid the services of an assistant, then before getting into the car, check whether the meter is working. If not, then taking such a taxi is not recommended. The trip will cost significantly more than the usual cost.
1. Be persistent when refusing the services of scam assistants or when getting your luggage back from the hands of members of the search team.
2. When choosing a taxi car, do not fall for the tricks of barkers. If you catch a car yourself, you should look for cars with the "Blue Bird" inscription.
By the way, 15 meters from the airport there is a taxi stand with a reception area. Here you can use taxi services at a fixed price and pay on the spot. The absence of settlements with the driver will save you from unnecessary, dishonest expenses.
Currency exchange
Another necessary part of a vacation for tourists and an income source for enterprising locals is currency exchange.
You can exchange local rupees for dollars or euros in many places on the island. Small exchangers, hotel receptions, banks.
Of course, tourists will find the most favorable exchange rate on billboards of small exchange offices. The deception in this case is hidden in the forgetfulness of the exchanger’s employees. The billboard does not include the inscription “NO COMMISSION”. At the same time, the client will not be told about the presence of a commission for performing a transaction until the last minute. An alert tourist will discover the missing amount either when recalculating money, or will pay attention to the commission line in the exchange certificate. It must be said that the size of the commission varies at different points and can even reach 30% of the transaction amount.
The client who notices the deception may become indignant and demand that the operation be cancelled. But at this moment it turns out that the exchange office employee does not speak foreign, or even native, languages at all and absolutely does not understand the client’s requirements.
You need to be especially vigilant in cases where the amount of rupees is issued in small denominations. An impressive wad of local money, carefully counted at the exchange office, can lose several banknotes at the time of transfer to the client.
How to avoid being scammed with cash?
1. The most basic advice is to avoid small exchange offices. Withdraw money from ATMs, money will be issued in local currency. To exchange currencies, contact banks.
2. An alternative to banks can be the reception of your hotel. The course will not be particularly beneficial, but fraud in this case is unlikely, since the hotel is interested in its guests.
3. If you want to exchange money at exchange offices, carefully read the billboard, check about the presence of a commission before making a transaction, and be sure to carefully count the bills.
Russian helpers
Reading all of the above, it seems that every second Balinese is a fraudster. However, this is not quite true. Representatives of different nationalities live in Bali, including our compatriots. On the Internet you can find a large number of Russians permanently residing on the island. Many of them are very willing to help tourists organize tours, book accommodation and other similar benefits at competitive prices.
Of course, any service most often has its price. But there are situations when our compatriots are ready to help a stranger completely free of charge. Altruism!? Maybe. Although most often in such situations, Russians deceive Russians.
If a potential tourist is not familiar with local prices, for example, for housing, then the option of renting a room for a month, for example, for $400, will seem like a great success for him. Only now, later, it may turn out that without the help of an enterprising realtor, for this money it was possible to rent an apartment or even a house with several rooms.
Similar situations may arise with restaurants, transport, etc.
How to avoid being deceived by Balinese Russians?
1. Be extremely careful in making contact with those who offer you help in organizing your vacation. Check the person’s past contacts, read reviews on the Internet.
2. Double-check the information. In a housing situation, be sure to check the adequacy of the offered price.
3. Assess the actual need for the assistance offered. You may be able to visit this or that restaurant without outside help, thereby saving some money.
Ways to cheat on excursions
Almost every tourist vacationing in Southeast Asia in general and Bali in particular, at least once becomes a participant in a group excursion, the program of which, in addition to the main object, includes a visit to a store, market or other shopping complex.
It seems like nothing special, an additional opportunity to purchase unique souvenirs, jewelry and similar goods. However, the price of goods in such stores already includes a percentage, which, if the goods are sold, will be paid to the guide who brought the tourists here.
To avoid overpayment scams, you should not plan a trip to such an excursion during the first days of your stay on the island. A preliminary shopping trip and even a superficial acquaintance with prices will allow you not to make unnecessary, unjustified expenses during the excursion.
Cute monkeys
Monkeys are a common sight in Bali. They live not only in impenetrable jungles; primates feel quite at ease near temples and park complexes. That is, wherever there are people and the opportunity to make money. There is also a separate excursion to the Monkey Forest in Bali.
In addition to bananas and nuts, which tourists love to treat these island inhabitants to, the monkeys are not averse to profiting from something more serious. Inattentive tourists can lose their hats, bags and even jewelry. As a rule, such troubles happen in parks in the presence of park rangers. It is the park employees who will help return the lost items. True, they will not do it for free.
The main advice in this case is not to wear jewelry unnecessarily and not to take valuables when going to visit the monkeys.
In conclusion, we note that all of the above is just what to pay attention to while vacationing on the tropical island of Bali. Knowing these points will allow you to take away only positive impressions from the island and the desire to return again.
Wherever we want to go on our next trip, let it be a trip to our native Russian outback or immersing ourselves in a tour offering distant and alluring Thailand from Novosibirsk, in any case we try to find out the characteristics and customs of our chosen area. And, if we are familiar with the more or less known destinations that tours to Turkey from Novosibirsk or Egypt offer, then countries and resorts that are not so well known to Russian tourists remain a mystery to us.
So, when purchasing tours to Bali from Novosibirsk, it would be nice to get acquainted and learn for yourself the basic rules, taboos and features of this resort. Without them, it will be difficult for you to feel free and comfortable in this country, and you will definitely not cause an unpleasant misunderstanding of your own behavior among the local population.
1. At the resort, women are not allowed to sunbathe topless, and it is also considered impossible for a woman or man to appear in a public place (except for the beach area) in a bathing suit and without outerwear.
2. Photographing of Aboriginal people swimming in the sea is not allowed.
3. Point at the object or person you are interested in, the direction should not be with the index finger, but with the thumb and only of the right hand. In addition, the elbow should not be set aside, but rather pressed towards you. Pointing at something with your foot will be perceived by locals as an insult. The same strict standards of behavior on the island apply when accepting or giving something to another person. This should only be done with your right hand.
4. Clothes for visiting temples should be special: no skirts, pants or T-shirts. You should get a personal or rented sarong.
5. Most of the temples on the island are open to the public, but voluntary donations of 1,000 rupees or more are welcome. The central temples of the tourist routes have their own fee - one visit costs 1,500 rupees. For video and photography in them, tourists will be asked to pay an additional 500 or 1000 rupees, respectively.
6. There are also a lot of prohibitions regarding the temples of Bali: people with bleeding cannot enter here; you cannot be near a person sitting in the temple, so as not to accidentally hit his head; You cannot stand in front of a person praying.
7. Despite all the romance of the island, kissing and all similar manifestations of personal affection in public places are prohibited in Bali.
Everyone wants to go to Bali, Indonesia. The Bali beaches are full of tourists who lie on the sand all day long like seals on ice and visit 3-4 well-worn tourist spots during their stay on the island. But Kirill and I are not one of those who are content with a template script. We are researchers.
We went to Bali at the end of January. It’s not worth going to an exotic country without knowing the peculiarities, because in Indonesia it’s easy to get lost, spend exorbitant amounts of money or , for example, get acquainted with the cunning of the local fauna.
The tailed inhabitants of the vicinity of the ancient Uluwatu temple check tourists for vigilance: nimble monkeys pull off sunglasses, hats and other accessories. But I had heard more than once about monkey criminal activity from friends who had returned from Bali, so we were on our guard.
Wondering what to do in Bali besides surfing, Kirill dug up the Gelpme website, where people willingly share their impressions and recommend bright places and off-the-beaten-path tourist routes. We resorted to the help of this site when emergency situations arose during our trip. He helped save a lot on island transport, find the best market with fresh fish and fruit in the vicinity of Kuta, and even find the local post office!
I was pleased that an atmosphere of mutual assistance reigns in the tourism community. After all, as elsewhere, overpriced hack work is offered on every busy corner. Some illegal excursions, traditional medicine, dubious souvenirs... Sometimes a friendly tip is simply priceless!
The trip was memorable - to say the least! I repeat – we don’t like lying around as sloths on the beach. While Kirill was snorkeling on the island of Gili Air (snorkeling) and spying on colorful fish, I walked around the island, or rather rode a horse-drawn carriage - cars and even motorcycles are prohibited there! Gili Air is a tiny island near Bali and a simply magical place: snow-white sand, azure ocean, bungalows and complete isolation from any manifestations of civilization. 
There are a lot of surfers in Bali, some of them are “pilgrims” from Australia. They settle down on the island - apparently, they cannot tear themselves away from the relaxed atmosphere and incredibly beautiful nature. But even for lovers of active and independent holidays like us, Bali is just a fairy tale. At sunset, the friendly Australian surfers we met (it’s amazing how the atmosphere of a place makes people open and hospitable!) treated us to inexpensive local wine with the funny name Kolesom. 
A few words about Ubud - a town where many people are in a state of permanent relaxation and spiritual knowledge. Several yoga schools, restaurants with organic food and a general atmosphere of enlightenment that affected us too, so much so that I myself felt some kind of inner harmony and peace. It’s definitely worth coming here for at least 2-3 days! By the way, Ubud is located in the interior of the island, but not far from it on the eastern shore of the island there is White Sand Beach (or Virgin Beach), it is truly untouched, and here you can enjoy the azure water and lie on the white sand in complete privacy! 
One more point on our trip cannot fail to be mentioned at the end of the report - this is the Water Palace, a water garden and palace of a raja (one rich nobleman built this recreational complex, as they would now say, in the last century) right on the living spring of Tirtaganga. 
You can cross the huge artificial pond on specially laid stones, and huge, fantastically orange carp dart around in the crystal clear water. Decorative - I think it’s not customary to catch them for dinner. And all around are sculptures of dragons, small bridges, strange plants and flowers.
It was an amazing trip! If you have never been to Bali and love unconventional travel with immersion in the local culture, I strongly recommend going there as soon as possible!
